(Tail)back in business

Jason Wright's patience pays off, both for him and the Wildcats, after being moved to wide receiver as a freshman

September 26, 2002|By Skip Myslenski, Tribune staff reporter.

Speed is not a trait that defines Jason Wright, who spills over with contradictions.

Wright is the Northwestern junior tailback who scored three touchdowns and gained 186 yards last week against Navy, and for his efforts was named the Big Ten's offensive player of the week. But midway through the first quarter of that game, he popped free through left tackle only to be caught from far behind by Midshipmen cornerback Shalim Brazier.

"I'm still getting made fun of for that running me down from about five miles away," Wright admits with a laugh.

There is another of those contradictions that course through Wright, who manifests none of the bravado so many of today's players favor. There is, in fact, a softness about him, a gentleness not normally associated with his violent sport.

He is so self-effacing that he often says, "I really don't feel I bring anything more than anyone else to the table."

That is one more of those contradictions that characterize Wright, who is a general practitioner in an age of specialist. He is surely not as quick as Jeff Backes, another of the Wildcats' tailbacks. Nor is he as big or as shifty as the 230-pound Noah Herron, who also sees time at that position.

But he is quick enough and shifty enough, and in passing situations, he is both an adept receiver and protector.

It was this last talent, his ability to block, that impressed Walker last spring and distinguished Wright in his effort to succeed Damien Anderson as the Wildcats' top tailback.

"The thing about Jason, to me, he's a physical player," Walker says. "If you watch our blocking drills, our pass-protection drills, that's where he started standing out to me. That's not an easy skill. To sit in there and anchor yourself and see a big, 240-pound linebacker blowing in on you, that takes a little courage.

"He stands in there, gets great leverage, great position, takes those guys on."

Physical play is not an attribute the 210-pound Wright had from the beginning.

"In high school, I ran out of bounds. Dove on the ground occasionally," he says. "So it was something I had to learn altogether."

This willingness to learn also defines Wright, who was highly recruited after starring as a running back at Diamond Bar High School in California. But even then--another contradiction here--he knew he wanted ultimately to go to medical school, so he considered only the offers of academically powerful California, Stanford and Northwestern.

Stanford recruited him as a defensive back and Cal's interest went back and forth. But Northwestern committed to him and that convinced him to pick the Wildcats even though Anderson already was ensconced as their tailback.

"When you're coming out of high school," Wright explains, "your ego's a little big. Everyone's a star at their high school. You don't know the difference there is between high school and college. As far as playing right away, I didn't think I'd start over Damien, but I thought I'd contribute, maybe battle for a backup spot. But that isn't how things happened."

He contributed immediately on special teams, but also was switched immediately to wide receiver. This was just the kind of move that regularly enrages former high school stars to the extent they threaten to transfer.

At home in California, Wright's friends surely pushed him in that direction, cooing those magic words, "You should be playing somewhere."

"Of course you're disappointed," he admits, "but I wasn't trying to leave. It just made me motivated to practice harder to get where I wanted to be. It's like a wake-up call, a reality check. OK. I have a long way to go. Then you start that gradual process of becoming a college football player.

"I really had to focus on becoming a better receiver. If I had thought about moving back to running back, it would have hindered my growth. So it never really entered my mind until it happened."

It happened near the end of last season when injuries sidelined Anderson and a pair of his backups. By the conclusion of last spring's practice, he had emerged as the primary candidate to succeed Anderson. He secured his position with a strong performance at the Wildcats' training camp in Kenosha and now, as they prepare for their Big Ten opener Saturday at Michigan State, he has rushed 66 times for 369 yards, caught five passes for 46 and returned six kickoffs for 260.

The patience he showed while getting to this point is the last contradiction in Wright.

"I was amazed at his ability to adapt back to tailback," Walker says. "He had been away two years and I didn't really know where he'd go. Of course, good runners find a way. It's like a duck falling into water."

Wright was ready for the opportunity.

"I never felt any bitterness or any kind of trying to get back to running back," Wright says. "I never felt that I should always be there. I was happy to have an opportunity to get more playing time and actually contribute to this team rather than waiting in the wings.

"But it was a great feeling [getting switched back]. It feels really more comfortable there. I don't think as much. I'm just playing."